Author

Category

Tags

The Argos leather bar in Amsterdam is closing this Friday, 2nd of January 2015. The LeatherHistory.eu Foundation is looking for information and material about the bar’s history.

With a history going back to the 1950s, the Argos bar is known to be the oldest leather bar in Europe. Over the years, the bar has built up a world famous reputation in- and outside of the leather community. The Argos bar had already been put on sale in 2010 yet, despite its investments, new management has not succeeded in turning around the declining number of visitors. Voices in the local leather community confirm the bar has already been sold and is likely to irrevocably lose its darkroom license as new management has other plans for the venue. The bar invites leather men to one last Farewell Party on Friday, 2nd of January 2015.

When I lived in London in the 60’s we often spent the whole weekend therein Amsterdam , nothing like itthen in London. Many years later on return to Sydney Australia we had the Barracks leather bar ! That’s also gone somtine ago ! Nothing replaced it !

“”ROSS” is happy to report having been there in recent times. Sad but true as the Internet sets the bar to the lowest common denominator. But the Good News is that it”s now possible to be OUT and OPEN in the streets most places – US and EU – and that’s a very good thing. Bars with ‘changing rooms’ have always been a thorn in this LeatherMans vest… because it makes it seem oh so inauthentic.

The danger has past – a tribut to the Gay and Leather PRIDE movement started in the early 70’s when this ‘pervert’ proclaimed to His family and the world: “GAY- PROUD – DEFIANT”

“Pride in the Stride, No shame in the game” is oh so much more AUthentic,

Yes, it is very sad news, I run the Argos from 1994 till beginning of 2011.
I was a young guy when I went there for the first time in the early 80’s and I became the owner in 94.
Thank you to the people that help me to make the Argos the place that everyone remember.

Eduardo, I hope all is well. Sorry about Argos closing (on my birthday of all days). I am still in Los Angeles and haven’t been back to AMS for some time. I am on Facebook and would love to reconnect with you. http://www.facebook.com/arias.david

This is sad news. The Argos was a Fine bar run by wonderful guys full of passion and integrity. Dresscode bars like Argos are disappearing at an alarming rate because not enough leather men and fetish men go there on a regular base. That’s a fact. Consumer patterns change. But there is nothing inevitable about that. If we as gay leather men and kinksters don’t go and visit our bars they will disappear. No need to be sentimental about that, just go out there twice a month and enjoy your local bar again! It’s fun! If we don’t do that soon there might be nothing left to go to if one day we have a change of heart.
Kurt
The Hoist (London)

I agree with Kurt’s comment. And I wonder if the big
challenge today is not the survival of these Bars in the
context of changing patterns in consumer’s habits.
Economics uncertainties don’t help.
But one thing remains as true today as it was yesterday:
we gaymen in leather and fetish do need these special
places where we can celebrate with our pals. At the same time we must think hard to foresee for the future.
Égide, Montréal.

To see an institution like this bite the dust is sad indeed. I live in London now, but remember many fun times at Argos while visiting from Finland, where such places have never existed. I fully agree with the comments made here, that if we want bars and clubs like Argos to survive, we have to get our gear on and give them our custom, instead of staying at home cruising guys on the internet. The ones in London, once heaving with leathermen, are still hanging on, but only just. Rather than them having a responsibility to keep their doors open for us, we have a responsibility to keep using that door to go in!

I go over to Amsterdam every now and again (for over 10 yrs now), and always go to Argos. Imagine my shock when I arrived in July for a weekend, walked down and found it no longer there ! I had to do a double take. It was a genuine shock. So, so sad and even more saddened how these places are vanishing. Hope you get resurrected somewhere in the future.